Part 1: Uncovering Your S.H.A.P.E. · Lesson 2
You have been gifted for greatness -- in service, not status.
"Your spiritual gifts were not given for your own benefit but for the benefit of others."Rick Warren
Is there anything more fun than watching children open Christmas presents? Picture that same wonderful scene, only with spiritual gifts. When God planned the masterpiece he would make of your life, he decided to give you certain gifts that would enable you to effectively share his love and make your own unique contribution to his kingdom. He placed these spiritual abilities within you and waits eagerly for you to discover them. We should be as excited as children on Christmas Day about unwrapping these treasures.
Too often, people carry heavy loads of frustration because they are trying to serve in areas for which they have little or no ability. On the other hand, the most fulfilled and effective people are functioning in areas that precisely match the gifts God has given them. Identifying your spiritual gifts is the crucial first step to finding the unique role God intends for you to fulfill.
A spiritual gift is a God-given special ability, given to every believer at conversion by the Holy Spirit, to share his love and strengthen the body of Christ.
Before we go further, it is important to clarify what spiritual gifts are not:
A personality test is not an adequate indicator of what spiritual gifts you possess. Your personality traits provide natural vehicles for expressing your gifts, but they are not the gifts themselves. If God wired you to be outgoing, your gifts will work best as you actively engage other people. If you are more reserved by nature, your personality will complement your giftedness.
You can be a very talented architect, salesperson, or manager, but those are not spiritual gifts. Talents have to do with techniques and methods; gifts have to do with spiritual abilities. Talents depend on natural power; gifts depend on spiritual endowment.
The fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22-23 -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control -- reveal Christ's contribution to your character. Spiritual gifts reveal the contribution you make to God's kingdom.
The spiritual gifts God gives you are neither for you nor about you. They were not given to boost your self-image or to serve as some kind of special reward from God. They were not given to raise you up to some level of worldly greatness or success. They are yours for the express purpose of blessing the body of Christ -- the church. Discovering your spiritual gifts is not the ultimate goal -- using them to bless others is.
"Each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that" (1 Corinthians 7:7b, TNIV). You may not feel tremendously gifted, but God says that you are. If you are a believer, then you have the Spirit living in you. If you have the Spirit living in you, then you have spiritual gifts to use for God's glory and the benefit of others. How many gifts you have is not nearly as important as discovering and developing the gifts you do have.
The key to discovering your gifts is twofold: (1) examining what gifts you think you may have, and then (2) serving in various roles to see which ones bring the greatest fulfillment for you and the greatest results for God. Rick Warren says:
"Many books get the discovery process backwards. They say, 'Discover your spiritual gift and then you'll know what ministry you're supposed to have.' It actually works the exact opposite way. Just start serving, experimenting with different ministries, and then you'll discover your gifts. Until you're actually involved in serving, you're not going to know what you're good at."Rick Warren
The apostle Paul tells young Timothy to "fan into flame" his gift (2 Timothy 1:6). Imagine smoldering embers that burst into flame as you fan them. This is exactly what happens when you develop the gifts God has given you -- they become more powerful and purposeful for God. Whatever gifts you have been given can be enlarged and developed through practice, study, and feedback.
From five key passages of Scripture (Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11, and 1 Peter 4:9-10), we can identify twenty spiritual gifts that God distributes among believers:
| Gift | Brief Description |
|---|---|
| Administration | Organizing resources and people to efficiently reach ministry goals |
| Apostleship | Launching and leading new ministry ventures that advance God's purposes |
| Discernment | Recognizing truth or error within a message, person, or event |
| Encouragement | Inspiring and counseling others to live God-centered lives |
| Evangelism | Sharing the love of Christ in a way that draws others to accept eternal life |
| Faith | Stepping out boldly to see God's purposes accomplished despite obstacles |
| Giving | Joyfully supporting kingdom initiatives through material contributions |
| Healing | Restoring health to those who are sick, beyond traditional means |
| Helping | Offering behind-the-scenes assistance to help others reach goals |
| Hospitality | Providing a warm, welcoming environment for fellowship |
| Interpretation | Understanding God's message spoken in a special language unknown to others |
| Knowledge | Communicating God's truth to promote justice, honesty, and understanding |
| Leadership | Casting vision and motivating people to achieve goals for God's kingdom |
| Mercy | Ministering to those who suffer physically, emotionally, or spiritually |
| Miracles | Supernatural acts that bring validity to God and his power |
| Pastoring | Taking spiritual responsibility for a group of believers |
| Prophecy | Speaking forth messages from God that comfort, warn, or reveal sin |
| Teaching | Teaching sound doctrine in relevant, empowering ways |
| Tongues | Communicating God's message in a special language unknown to the speaker |
| Wisdom | Making wise decisions and counseling others with sound advice |
Whenever Paul talks about spiritual gifts, he follows with a message about love. You may have wonderful and valuable spiritual gifts, but without love you are unusable. To determine what is truly propelling your spiritual gifts, ask yourself, "Who is the primary beneficiary of my actions?" If your actions benefit others, you are serving with love. If you realize you are the prime beneficiary, you need to immediately realign yourself with God. A love-driven life is the life God uses.
As you begin to use your spiritual gifts, be aware of four common traps that can trip you up and make you ineffective:
This happens when we place greater value on the more visible gifts -- those more likely to shine in the spotlight, such as leadership or teaching. Just because a gift is more visible does not guarantee it is more valuable. "The eye can never say to the hand, 'I don't need you.' The head can't say to the feet, 'I don't need you.' In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary" (1 Corinthians 12:21-22, NLT). There are no second-rate masterpieces hanging in God's art gallery.
When we expect others to be good at the same things we excel at, we are "projecting" our gifts onto them. Projection is especially common in relationships at work or at home. For example, if you have the gift of administration and expect everyone around you to be equally organized and punctual, frustration and resentment can follow. Celebrate the unique gifts God gives to others and encourage each person to be who God created them to be.
This trap involves refusing to accept the gifts God has given you. It often happens when people clearly have a gift but won't acknowledge it because they don't have the "right" title or official position. Allowing someone else's opinion to stop you from seizing and sharing your gifts will create nothing but disappointment and sorrow in your heart. Give yourself permission to be who God gifted you to be, regardless of what others have said.
Satan can manipulate you into believing you have certain gifts that God has not actually given you -- distracting you from putting your true gifts into effect and preventing you from accomplishing what God intended for your life. This is especially common with leadership. Focus on God so he can reveal the spiritual gifts he has for you and show you how he wants you to use them for his glory.
Review the ten gifts listed below. For each one, check the box if you feel it may describe a gift God has given you. Then consider where you might begin serving to test and develop that gift.
Of the gifts you checked above, which one or two do you want to explore first? Write a brief plan for how you could begin serving in that area this month.
1. According to the lesson, which of the following is NOT a spiritual gift?
2. What is the primary purpose of spiritual gifts?
3. According to Rick Warren, what is the best way to discover your spiritual gifts?
Think about what you discovered in this lesson. Which of the four traps -- comparison, projection, rejection, or deception -- do you find most challenging? Have you ever dismissed a gift God gave you because someone else's gift seemed more important? Share your reflections with a trusted friend, mentor, or small group. Ask them: "What gifts do you see in me that I might not recognize?" Their perspective could be the key to unwrapping a treasure God has waiting for you.